Head to head: 2011 Mitsubishi RVR

By Kevin Mio and Jim Leggett, Montreal Gazette

Originally published: October 25, 2011

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RVR is a capable vehicle, but feels cheap and underpowered – Kevin Mio

Mitsubishi has an established reputation when it comes to larger sport-utility vehicles. The Endeavor and Outlander have been around in Canada for years, and the larger SUVs have been well accepted here.

But with the market for more compact crossovers growing each year, Mitsubishi was being left behind. In response, they have brought a compact crossover to our shores in the form of the RVR.

It joins a crowded market that is now filled by just about every automaker, so the RVR is kind of late to the dance. It is competing with the likes of the Nissan Rogue and Juke, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage and many more. That means it has some catching up to do, and after a few days with the RVR, I am not sure it’s fully up to tango.

Granted, the RVR looks decent enough, is priced right and offers the essential all-wheel-drive option, but there are some points that need finessing.

With a starting price of just under $20,000 for the base ES trim with front-wheel drive, the RVR is definitely priced to compete.

Our tester was the SE front-wheel-drive model, which retails for $21,998. The SE and GT all-wheel drive models will run you $24,998 and $28,498, respectively.

The RVR doesn’t really stand out in my eye in what is a really crowded compact crossover market.

It’s not that the RVR is an ugly model, but it’s no better looking than most of its competitors.

The front fascia looks pretty good, but might be a little too tall for some. A downward swoop of the hood might have helped make the RVR look lower to the ground.

From the side, there’s an upswept crease in the side panels, giving the RVR a somewhat sportier appearance.

From the side, however, one thing stands out. At the rear, it looks as if the RVR was simply cut off for size. Unlike the Outlander, which has a nice overhang behind the rear wheels, the RVR’s overhand is very small, giving it a stunted appearance.

And the flimsy feeling plastic body panels above the wheel wells and in the front fascia do little to win over some people who may be on the fence about the RVR.

I had at least one person who talked to me about the RVR say he walked out of the Mitsubishi dealer when he put his hand on the car and felt the plastic give under his weight.

On the inside, the RVR has a fairly standard look. Again, this is not a bad thing because it is actually quite functional, but it did not stand out in my mind.

The climate controls are accessed via three large knobs below the radio controls, a similar setup to the Rogue.

The layout of all the gauges and radio controls, as well as the screen in the dash that displays on-board information, is all well executed.

Performance

The RVR gets its power from a 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder engine which delivers 148 horsepower and 145 foot-pounds of torque.

When compared with some of the competition, like the Rogue, Juke and others, the RVR’s power numbers are much lower – in some cases by about 30 horsepower.

That limits the RVR’s capabilities somewhat, but Mitsubishi was focused on fuel efficiency and reducing fuel usage with the RVR.

The automaker says the RVR, equipped with a manual transmission, burns only 8.7 litres per 100 kilometres in the city and 6.4 L/100 km on the highway.

When equipped with the optional continuously variable transmission ($1,200), the numbers are 8.4 L/100 km city and 6.6 L/100 km highway.

My tester had the five-speed manual transmission and, although I usually prefer to drive stick, I wasn’t terribly impressed by this setup.

For starters, the clutch pedal was very loose. That means that there was almost no resistance when pushing down on the clutch, which is far from the normal experience when driving a manual car.

I also wasn’t too crazy about the throws between gears, which made it easy to miss your gear.

Driving/utility

Once you get used to the transmission and clutch setup, driving the RVR is not that bad.

The one difference is that unlike some of its competitors, the RVR does feel a little underwhelming at times, most likely thanks to the lack of power.

That being said, it is quite capable in the city and offers all the versatility and utility of its counterparts.

The RVR seats up to five passengers in relative comfort and offers plenty of cargo room.

There is 21.7 cubic feet available with the back bench in place, and 49.5 cubic feet of total space with the bench folded flat.

That gives you plenty of room for everything the family needs for a weekend getaway or a trip to the store for the coming family reunion.

Despite a few quibbles, the RVR isn’t a bad vehicle by any stretch of the imagination. It is entering a tough segment, however, and has to match or best the competition to get noticed.

As with any vehicle purchase, the decision to buy is ultimately a personal one and the RVR will find its buyers. It’s priced right, offers the desired utility and can hold its own against some very fierce competition.

The Recreation Vehicle Runner from Mitsubishi is the latest version of their compact five-passenger crossover utility vehicle. The engineers have set their goals quite high with this third generation by reaching for better fuel mileage. The RVR has a relatively short wheelbase of 2,670 millimetres built on a unibody chassis.

In fact, it is same the platform used for the longer Mitsubishi Outlander, but reduced in length, while sharing some components of the longer vehicle, demonstrating a corporate decision to return Mitsubishi to smaller, fuel efficient vehicles instead of larger, truck-based products.

The new RVR uses front fenders made from SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Noryl GTX resin. By replacing steel with this high-performance resin, Mitsubishi slashed the weight of the part by almost 50 per cent and improved pedestrian safety compliance.

There’s no mistaking Mitsubishi’s signature front grille and angled halogen headlights. It’s an aggressive look, one that you either like or you don’t, but that’s better than lukewarm reactions in my book.

The hood follows suit with some bold ridges that narrow down to meet the top of the grille opening, giving it additional rigidity and allowing for a lighter gauge of steel. Clever, huh?

The cabin is obviously smaller than the Outlander but no less comfortable. The instruments are simple but logically laid out and convenient to use without forcing you to read a voluminous owner’s manual.

There’s no optional navigation system on our test vehicle, but there was a simple monochrome display that includes a trip computer, maintenance reminder and ambient temperature. The top-of-the-line GT all-wheel-drive model has a colour display.

I really liked the seats in the RVR with their standard embossed fabric upholstery. The six-way manually adjustable driver’s seat and four-way passenger seat were supportive without being hard as rock and we had a leather wrapped steering wheel and shifter knob.

As you would expect, the seating for the rear passengers is not luxurious, but it is acceptable. The rear seats split fold 60/40 for additional cargo space when required. Cargo capacity with the rear seats down beats the Nissan Juke and Suzuki SX4 by double.

Performance

The 2011 RVR is available in four trim levels and two drivetrain combinations. All RVR models are powered by a updated version of Mitsubishi’s 4B11 four-cylinder engine. This fuel-efficient 2.0-litre engine produces 148 horsepower and 145 foot-pounds of torque and runs on regular unleaded fuel.

The powerband is optimized so that the torque curve is relatively flat from 2,200 rpm all the way up to just below the 6,500 rpm redline, which means that the engine doesn’t have to take a moment to deliver its power. That said, 2200 rpm is fairly high so don’t expect much excitement when pulling away from a stoplight.

New features for 2011 include resin-coated pistons and smoother surface on the camshafts for reduced friction and improved fuel economy. A higher efficiency alternator and electric power steering also aid in this cause. Fuel mileage estimates are 8.4 L/100 km city and 6.6 L/100 km highway.

Both the RVR and Outlander share the same suspension setup – a MacPherson strut layout in front with a multilink and coil system at the rear. Like the Outlander, stabilizer bars are also used at both the front and rear, but the RVR has some features in its design that better suit its more compact dimensions and provide a more optimal degree of ride comfort and stability. These include cross members to support the new electric power steering and a redesigned rear floor pan to accommodate a more aerodynamically shaped muffler.

A new electric power steering system has been introduced that provides good road feedback as well as being more energy efficient.

Driving/utility

I have to admit that I have found Mitsubishi vehicles to be hit and miss, either feeling well built or not. When they were not, they felt cheap to me, too much tinny klunk when I close the door. The RVR has really raised the standard for fit, finish and quality in my opinion.

The short wheelbase can produce a choppy ride on some of our notoriously broken roads but it also helps make driving the RVR a breeze to drive in urban traffic and park in close quarters.

Admittedly the RVR SE two-wheel-drive lacks any off-road prowess, but that option is available as the SE 4WD and GT 4WD.

With a sticker price of $21,998 for the RVR SE 2WD plus the Sportronic CVT transmission ($1,200), freight ($1,450) and prep ($250), you can roll off the lot for under $25,000 (plus tax). A great compact CUV with modern styling and a comfortable interior. Nice one Mitsu!